Out With the Old?

He's getting old now. Not nearly the dashing, darting figure of years past. But I estimate at close to 80, he's in darn good shape.

He still has a firm grip in that handshake. And he still has a firm grip on the world.

He never became the CEO he wanted to be. He lost a turf battle decades ago because, as he freely admitted, "I was just too nasty an S-O-B."

That didn't stop a competitor, years later, from hiring him — not as a CEO, but as a top adviser. The way the competitor saw it, this old man had waged his battles, had won and lost his turf. He had nothing to prove. And this CEO had nothing to fear.

So the old man came in and, without deference to his boss or sycophantish worship to his cause, he changed things.

Young whippersnappers, who used to dismiss thisMr. Magoo (search) character, soon snapped to when he came in a room.

Not only because his ideas proved sound, but because the boss they were really sucking up to, found them sounder and more profitable still.

And it got me thinking: Too many of our best and brightest are put out to pasture, when they could still be put to work — testing us, annoying us and challenging us.

They say the corporate world is a young person's world. Looking at my now aging friend, I have but one question: Why?

Neil Cavuto serves as senior vice president, anchor and managing editor for both FOX News Channel (FNC) and FOX Business Network (FBN). He is anchor of FNC's Your World with Cavuto - the number one rated cable news program for the 4 p.m. timeslot - as well as the FNC Saturday show Cavuto on Business. He also hosts Cavuto on FBN weeknights at 8 p.m. In addition to anchoring daily programs and breaking news specials on FNC and FBN, Cavuto oversees business news content for both networks and FNC's weekend business shows, including Bulls & Bears, Forbes on Fox, and Cashin' In. Click here for more on Neil Cavuto.